I refer to the letter BM: Doesn't matter what it's called . The Malay language is the national language of this country - an agreed principle when Malaya became independent and later when Malaysia was formed.

The term Bahasa Kebangsaan should have been retained, as that was the term used in the first instance. For political purposes, it was referred to as Bahasa Malaysia just to follow the concept of Bahasa Indonesia in Indonesia. As the Malays were a minority in Indonesia, the decision in favour of Bahasa Indonesia was taken mainly by the non-Malays, especially by the predominant Javanese as early as in 1928.

In Malaysia the situation is different. The Malay language is the mother-tongue of the Malays, and as they are the majority and it is only natural that they wish to term their mother tongue as Bahasa Melayu. Can they term their mother tongue as Bahasa Malaysia?

Otherwise, will their mother tongue Bahasa Melayu be considered different from Bahasa Malaysia?

Indonesians, irrespective of their racial origins, will say that their mother tongue is Bahasa Indonesia as there is only one type of education system that is prevalent there.

How many Malaysians are willing to adopt Bahasa Malaysia as their own language let alone as their mother tongue? We have vernacular schools that are a sign that we have many who wish to have their basic education using their own mother tongue and not in the national language.

They are proud to be Chinese, Indians and others first before considering themselves as Malaysians. This is the reality.

Unless we have one distinct education system that is using one language as the medium of instruction in the country, we can't say that we are proud Malaysians using Bahasa Malaysia.

The Malay linguists will never agree with the politicians who keep changing the name of the national language for their own expediency.

I do not know whether the universities in our country will also use the new term in the appropriate faculties, or whether the Malay Language faculties in other countries are going to change theirs. They only have the Indonesian Language faculties.

It is not such a simple matter as made out to be by our politicians who are trying desperately to find solutions for the racial polarisation problem in this country.